The Roze Team understands the benefits of eating spicy foods that can improve your health and longevity. We will explore the different types of foods that benefit your health, especially your heart and cardiovascular system.
Benefits of Eating Spicy Food for Health
Spicy food is a component of many different cultures, from Buffalo chicken to kimchi and Tajin. When it comes to protecting your heart, hot sauce might just become your new favorite condiment. The kick may be different depending on the type of chili pepper. Even if you grew up consuming spicy cuisine, you could be unaware of the health risks. We summarize the findings on spicy food in this post and offer our personal recommendations for how to spice up your meal.
You Could Lower Blood Pressure
It’s generally advised to cut back on sodium in your diet if you have hypertension (high blood pressure). But what connection does that have to spicy food?
In the European Journal of Nutrition’s 2019 study, among Chinese adults, women who said they typically ate spicy food had 26% reduced risks of having hypertension compared to those who did not. (For men, the association was false.) A preliminary animal study suggests that capsaicin, the substance that gives chili peppers their hot punch, may help prevent hypertension brought on by a high-salt diet, the researchers say, though the reasons why are still being investigated. It’s interesting to note that the most blood pressure-friendly foods were those that study participants self-rated as being moderately hot. So, add some flavor, but don’t go overboard.
Your Heart Health May be Better
While spicy food may make you perspire, it is also beneficial for your heart. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research published an overview in 2022 that linked regular consumption of spicy food to a declining risk of heart disease and stroke-related death. This study revealed a connection between the two, not a direct cause-and-effect relationship, so we cannot say for sure that eating spicy food caused better heart health, but there may be some causal relationship between individuals who regularly consume spicy food and lower mortality rates.
This may be partially attributed to lower cholesterol readings. According to Alice Figueroa, M.P.H., RDN, CDN, founder of Alice in Foodieland, more conclusive research is required, but eating spicy foods high in capsaicin is linked to higher levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, which protects against heart disease, and lower levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL, which is the cholesterol that contributes to heart disease).
You Might Sense More Fulfillment
Spicy food’s potent zing-and-zip flavor may also influence your appetite. According to Figueroa, spicy food may help you feel fuller faster, which can promote a healthy relationship with eating. Fostering a healthy relationship with food requires experiencing both fullness and satiation.
Perhaps Your Mortality Risk Is Lower
According to a 2021 meta-analysis published in the journal Angiology that included more than 500,000 participants, a higher diet of spicy food was linked to lower mortality rates. Over a 10-year follow-up period, individuals who consumed spicy food more frequently than once a week had a 12% lower chance of passing away from any medical disease or disorder than those who did not. It’s possible that capsaicin works to combat obesity and lowers the risk of disorders (like type 2 diabetes) linked to obesity. The researchers speculate that capsaicin may also offer antioxidants and boost the gut microbiota, both of which may aid in protecting the body against disease.
Potential Drawbacks
You Might Make Gastric Reflux Worse
According to research published in Preventive Nutrition and Food Science in 2021, spicy food is a known trigger, regardless of whether you experience occasional acid reflux or full-blown gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Zariel Grullón, RDN, CDN, of Love Your Chichos and co-founder of the multilingual virtual nutrition practice Radicare advises those with heartburn or a condition like gastritis to be cautious about how frequently or how much spicy food they consume because it can be uncomfortable.
You Might Have Digestive Issues
Spicy foods may cause adverse digestive reactions other than reflux. In 2020, the Journal of Crohn’s and Colitis published research revealing that the majority of persons with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD, also known as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease) claimed that eating spicy food caused their symptoms to worsen. Figueroa references this study. Additionally, you may want to be careful while consuming spicy foods if you have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), as these could exacerbate your symptoms.
How to Add Flavor to Your Food
Even while you might be eager to immediately start enjoying the health benefits of spicy cuisine, it’s usually best to take it slowly at first. If you’re not used to the heat, this provides you an opportunity to take a step back and make sure spicy meals aren’t giving you stomach pain.
Starting with milder peppers that contain less capsaicin, such as Anaheim, ancho, poblano, or jalapeño, is advised by Figueroa. Additionally, you might use pepper or dried chili flakes. The following list of four hot foods can help you spice up your meals:
Chipotle oil: This versatile condiment is created from oil that has been spiced with chiles. It goes well with eggs, noodles, and vegetables.
Kimchi: Made from fermented vegetables, kimchi is a classic hot side dish in Korea. It goes well with rice, noodles, soup, and other foods. It can be produced at home or bought in Asian markets.
Vegetables (Pickled): Along with hot sauce and chile (chili) oil, a great way to add heat is a pickled onion and jalapeño side that my family used to make. According to Grullón, it also adds some acid to brighten your food in addition to some heat. To get a similar vibe, try these spicy pickled carrots.
Chili sauce: There are so many types of spicy sauces available, all with different flavors and levels of heat. Keep a bottle on hand and add it to tacos, rice bowls, or eggs to quickly add spice to your meals.
Questions and Answers
Does eating spicy food benefit your heart?
Food that is spicy may help to maintain good heart health. According to research, eating more spicy food decreases your risk of cardiovascular disease. Additionally, studies have linked eating spicy food with higher HDL cholesterol (the good sort of cholesterol) levels and decreased blood pressure.
When you’re sick, should you eat spicy food?
Spicy food can produce nausea, which will certainly increase your symptoms if you have a stomach virus or other gastrointestinal disease. However, the heat may assist in clearing your sinuses if you have a cold or congestion by dislodging mucus.
Does consuming hot meals help your immune system?
Since chile peppers are a good source of vitamin C, consuming spicy cuisine will increase your intake of this vitamin. Your immune system is greatly influenced by the health of your gut, and there is some preliminary animal research suggesting that capsaicin may support a healthy gut flora. However, more study is required.
The Roze Review
Eating spicy food is associated with a number of health advantages, such as less mortality, improved heart health, lowered blood pressure, and greater satiety. However, spicy food may exacerbate your symptoms if you have a digestive disorder. If you don’t eat spicy foods often but want to make your dishes spicier, hold off on going overboard straight away. Start by introducing a small amount of spice, assess your reaction, then increase it from there. The Roze Team wants you, if it is safe for your body and palatable, to try some of the good spices and dishes that can improve your health and expand your food horizons.